Word of the Year

My word for 2013 was “Joy” as I desired to be joy filled in all circumstances.  It was a difficult final year with my Tim battling for each and every day of life, but we succeeded in finding the blessings and experiencing true joy through Christ Jesus.

My word for 2014 was “Rest”.  The loss of my husband and solo parenting our children through grief brought exhaustion on indescribable levels.  I most likely failed at 2014’s Word of the Year; just keeping it real, friends.

My word for 2015 was “Steadfast”.  God had proven Himself as steadfast to me and I wanted to exemplify that steadfast dependability to my children and others who needed stability from me for their own journeys.  This was the year we buried Tim’s ashes in the snow on the mountaintop of his favorite place.  God’s strength carried me through.

My word for 2016 was “Focus” as I craved remaining centered on Christ and His goodness to us.  I eliminated distractions in this year, simplified our lives with a move into our new home, and honed in on my top priority of raising our children to reach their highest potential.

My word for 2017 was “Open” as I longed to be open to whatever God brought for my future and committed to pray daily over myself that God would prepare me and my heart for His will.

My word for 2018 was “Semi-Colon”.  Continuing on with my life when I could let circumstances of my past dictate an end to joy, love, and full-on living was a CHOICE.  This vulnerability has brought some pain and heartache, along with some personal growth and boldness.  I am learning what I want for myself.  It is an ever-evolving work in progress. 

Five years post loss, empty nest, and best-friend moving across the country…so many changes are coming in the months ahead.  Before 2019 ends, I will truly be sitting here in this Edmond home alone.  My word for 2019 is COURAGE.  May I lean into the One who strengthens me for each day and builds within me for my future that only He knows.  2019 will require bravery, boldness, deep reflection, and discipline; it will demand COURAGE.

True to my Word of the Year, we will be beginning 2019 by trekking back to the burial site of our beloved Tim’s ashes.  I will, for the first time ever, be driving the mountain pass (which terrifies me).  I cannot think of a better way to kick off this new year with “courage”.  

LIVING

Widowed at 42.

At that time, every future goal, dream, and plan included him.

Nearly five years out from the loss now, I am dreaming on my own; finding who I enjoy being as a solo; settling into my new normal.

My new normal doesn’t mean “less than” or “more than” what we had together.  It just means different.  Different isn’t always negative.  Sometimes it is just....well....different.

I experience joy.  I experience laughter, lots and lots of laughter.  Laughing is still my favorite thing.

One of the many precious things he did for me before he passed was to give me permission to LIVE in his earthly absence.  Really live.  He told me to love again.  [I know that sounds strange, believe me—it sounded unfathomable to me at the time! But if it ever happens in my future, I know I have his blessing.]  He told me to have fun. 

Last month I got to go on a little fishing excursion with a friend.  I had an absolute blast!  The peacefulness of being on the water brought back lots of fun memories and even though the fish weren’t biting, my soul enjoyed the change of scenery and the simple comfort of just hanging out.

My life today does not stand in competition against my previous years with him.  Both seasons have beauty; both seasons have had hard things and hurts.  Each are uniquely their own.

I had a wonderful early October birthday when we were treated with a super fun family night out to a Thunder game. 

I have had a busy four days, actively living...spending time with several different friends.  Art show, OSU walk around, OSU HOCO game, another Thunder game...it’s been so much fun for me!  Even got to have brunch with Tim’s favorite surgeon yesterday.  Such a blessing to spend time together laughing and bonding over our simultaneous singleness.  I should have snapped a photo with her gorgeous self.  Oh how he loved her!

Being with new friends and old friends over the past four days has filled me back up. Spending time just soaking up new experiences has revived my thirst for living; and ignited my desire for experiencing and treasuring the moments. 

We get this one life.  I want to live it well.  I want to be surrounded by a tribe of wonderful and kind people. 

I feel like I am succeeding in that goal.  Which I know would make him proud, but more importantly...it makes me proud of myself.  Stepping outside of my comfort zone and being vulnerable to include new people in my tribe is scary, but I think it will be worth it as I begin to dream new dreams for myself.  I am grateful for my friends who walk alongside me and my God who faithfully strengthens me.

God is good....Even If. ❤️

Back to Back Seniors

It’s Senior Recognition Night for my girl and “her” football team. 

Today, I will slip my wedding ring back on as a symbol of his presence with us.

This girl of ours…she amazes me with her resilient spirit, her deep well of love for others, the wise use of her intelligence, her servant heart, and her strong work ethic.  So very many character qualities of her Daddy that I see in her make me smile.  She is witty and charming; strong beyond her years and she is one of the most giving souls I have ever known.

Watching her sacrificial serving of this team she loves over the past four years has been such an honor.  The fact that she has done it all with Tim as her audience from heaven above shatters parts of me I didn’t even know were still intact.  Senior years aren’t for weak mommas!  And doing “this” two years back to back without him by my side has been a roller coaster of epic emotions.

Tonight, Macie has asked my dad to walk with us.  We will be three generations of Reynolds strength and pride as we escort her to the 50 yard line.     

Make no mistake; her Daddy is beaming down from glory exclaiming, “That’s my girl!”  Macie, we are both so proud of the young woman you have grown into.  You serve others with a selfless grace.  You represent the Streller name and the name of our Savior with a fierce dignity.

I adore you and am honored to be your Mom. 

Give Me Strength

Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

I am an over thinker.  Like, on the level of needing an Over-thinker’s Anonymous Group. 

It is how God designed me, and when used properly, I can solve intricate problems with organized thoughts and structured processes.  But when left unchecked….I can create drama in my mind that doesn’t even exist!  Isn’t that the truth with many of our personalities?  What may be one of our greatest strengths can also double as one of our greatest weaknesses.

By nature, I am a planner.  The old Lori was planning-obsessed to the point that I sinned in it.  I used my over thinking and planning as a source of feeling I could control things around me.  Tim’s cancer and eventual death revealed that false security of “control” in me and ripped it away permanently. 

Now I am intimately aware of both what I don’t have control of and what I am responsible for controlling.

I am solely responsible to keep my eyes on the King of Kings and Lord of Lords as He guides me to lead this family.  It is not the role I desired.  Oh how I cherished and thrived being under the leadership of my husband; how Tim honored me by placing me in charge of things like our budget, the children’s schedules, and our homes.  I was confident.  I miss being trusted to handle these things responsibly.  I still have to handle them, but now it isn’t out of a position of trust from anyone but out of necessity.  And it feels less like a privilege and more like just another thing I “have” to do alone.  Bitterness will creep in if I am not careful.  Exhaustion often overtakes me. 

I cannot control much of anything except where I place my eyes and how I respond to what I encounter in this life.

I’ve learned in the over four and a half years since his passing, that my attitude determines how this family moves forward.  Unfortunately, I’ve allowed the negativity of grief to rule my heart far too often.  When I allow the promises in God’s Word to be stolen from me by the enemy, we all suffer.  The enemy loves to distract me from Truth by placing negative thoughts (about others, about myself, about everything basically) on auto-repeat in my brain.  My efforts to keep all the balls in the air, to maintain structure for the kids, to keep their lives progressing with forward momentum and try to compensate for his loss by helping other areas of their life remain stable…it has drained me of myself.  And without realizing it, I let my depletion distract me from guarding my heart and mind from the negative thoughts and judgements that are untruths.

God is so patient with me!  I owe our precious children an apology for my failures.  They have lost so much in their young lives already.  I hate that I allowed a positive and cheerfully energetic mother to sometimes be stolen from them over the past few years as well.

I do have control of taking captive my thoughts. 

I do have control of how I respond to the crisis we have survived.

I do have control of keeping my eyes on the One who has never left our side; the risen One who extends His strength in my weakness.

I do have control over surrendering my emotions at the foot of the cross.

I have control over not sinning in my anger and disappointment.

With hands uplifted, I declare it is well with my soul. 

Oh Lord, give me strength to say and mean it is well with my soul!   

Thank You for Your redemptive love and careful correction in my life.

Your grace, oh Lord, washes over me again and again.  Your endless love pours down on our little family of three and I turn to You in praise and worship.  With a grateful heart for the privilege of being Mom to these two, I surrender my thoughts before Your throne and claim Philippians 4:8 over my mind.  Amen  

Fifty

I don’t know what to do with this day…your “would-be-fiftieth-birthday”.

I haven’t found anything in the Bible about birthdays and heaven.  I don’t know if you age there or not.  I can’t imagine there is any significance to your earthly birthday anymore once there…but it is still an emotional day for us here.

Gone at forty-five.

When I turned 45, I spent the year keenly aware that it was the age you were when you left us.  Surreal doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling.  Too young.  You were far too young to leave us.  Then, I turned 46 and in this year, I have felt an urgency to LIVE.  I have emotions of guilt that I have now outlived your age here…I feel heavy responsibility to live for the both of us…I have utter exhaustion in doing this life without you.  Forty-six has been tough and beautiful, deep and healing, difficult and reflective for me.

But today, today you would be 50.  And I cry at the thought.  I found myself mentally, emotionally, and physically weakened with the knowledge of this date’s approach.  Five years from our planned retirement.  This time with the kids as they battle their own grief monsters, complete high school, and launch into college is precious to me; and it comes with such a deep heaviness in my soul.  As I told you in your final weeks, 

“I know with God I CAN do this; I just don’t WANT to do this life without you.” 

It isn’t fair.  It stinks.  It is lonely and more difficult than I ever could have fathomed.  Not that there aren’t wonderful times and beauty and laughter and joy…but this is HARD.  Our constant awareness of you missing from every milestone cuts from every angle.      

We would be on a family trip somewhere exotic this week.  Celebrating YOU.  Zip lining, parasailing, sun soaking, beach volleyball-ing, carrot cake eating celebrations.  Today just leaves me physically ill without you here.

Instead, we flip through photographs, get lost in memories, and smile at the sky hoping He gives you a glance at us as God catches our every tear.

You are loved.